U.S. Travel

Things I LoveU.S. TravelWining/Dining

NAPA IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA

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First up, the pre-Napa festivities alluded to in the last post.  I’ve written before about the beautiful tradition of overnight travel shared with my sisters when there’s a birthday ending in “5” or “0.”  We ventured to Santa Barbara (with a diversion to the outlets, of course) for a wonderful evening.  The birthday dinner at Tre Lune in Montecito was perfection.  Great food (pizza and tiramisu below), service, and a classic celebrity sighting of the one and only Carol Burnett. Even I balked at disrupting this entertainment icon as the timing just wasn’t right.  The following day was a surprise outing to Solvang (butter cookies, anyone?) and the mandatory stop for orchids on the way back.

Dinner with the hubby and kids was spectacular. Funke is a newish hotspot in Beverly Hills but that is not the reason to go.  The reason — as it should be — is for amazing food.  We were well cared for by pretty much everyone there as they know our family business, The Cellar Beverly Hills.  Two outstanding dishes below:  their foccacia and the shaved apple salad.  Two days later, we  were off to Napa.

A trip to Northern CA’s splendid wine country is one of the easist travel decisions to make. Pick a good time (or align with a big birthday, anniversary, etc), book a flight and hotel and go. For us in Southern CA, it is practically a no-brainer.

Having the ease of flying JSX makes it even better.  While people might think of the airline as an extravagance, at times the fares are less than even Southwest. Advance booking is key. Then it is all about swift check-in and walk to the nearby plane.  Then there’s the absence of long security lines, which even having TSA Pre-Check doesn’t always mitigate.  If you’re at all claustrophobic, JSX probably isn’t for you.

Hotels have gotten insanely expensive in the entire region, which is a significant drawback. For this trip I chose the “reasonably priced” Hotel Yountville.

The hotel is well located, walkable to many of the wonderful restaurants in town, and easy to hop on Highway 29 leading one to anywhere in the area.

Eating well in Napa is practically an oxymoron. In fact, this is one region where it takes little effort to find really great food — in particular bread in all forms — from local ingredients. Restaurants just seem to take it up a notch to pair with the vast number of wineries producing really great wine.

In no particular order, the trip highlights:

Wineries

Odette (including Adaptation and PlumpJack labels)

The estate is located on the Silverado Trail with an absolutely stunning tasting room.  The trip’s timing of early January is a very quiet time in Napa. How quiet? We were the first and only people to visit the winery that day, almost at their closing time.  We’re “members” with Odette, meaning we get regular shipments so there was no reason to purchase wine.

Ashes & Diamond

If you’ve been to the area, you’ve probably driven by numerous times on Highway 29 — the winery shares a driveway with Bistro Don Giovanni. The proprietor’s story is common with many other winery owners — a complete career change after tiring of the original path.  The tasting room is below.

Mark Herold (tasting room downtown Napa)

Mark is a very astute winemaker with a focus on Cabernets.  He also writes some of the most detailed descriptions about his wines.  The winery is one of many with tasting rooms in the downtown area. They frequently steer visitors to one another so they may find what suits their particular fancy. It’s a smart and collaborative way of operating.  We did purchase a few bottles. By the way, taking wine home on JSX is a breeze — we had a 4-bottle carrier which they simply checked with our suitcase.

Alpha Omega (tasting room downtown Napa)

Timing is everything.  Owner Robin Baggett happened to drop by and shared his and the winery’s history as an early producer in Paso Robles. It was a pleasure meeting him, an unassuming and gracious gentleman considering his background and success.  Oh, and the wines were pretty good too.

Restaurants

Slanted Door

Learning of this newly opened Napa location went straight to the top of the list. It is an architectural gem (except when looking for the signage at night).  Diners in warmer weather will experience the courtyard completely enveloped by the restaurant.  While the menu is somewhat limited until they work out all the kinks, we savored every bite.  Tables are very close together so one gets to know their neighboring diners. There is beautiful bar seating as well. Below, clockwise from upper left: the courtyard, entrance, green papaya salad, crisy spring rolls, the bar.

Mustards Grill

Still the same excellent quality at 30+ years old.  Hat’s off to the owner and staff.  They just nail it every time. The food below:  Hunan chicken & cashew salad (delicious!), Passionfruit margarita for a bit of day drinking, and the outdoor garden growing lettuces.  The cheesecake was divine as well.

Chez Panisse

Countless previous trips up north have been routed to include a meal at this legendary institution, now in it’s 53rd year.  Think “farm-to-table” is something new?  Alice Waters essentially created this way of eating in 1971 and must have a good laugh these days at all the wannabe’s new to the trend.

So off we went for an hour’s drive to Berkeley from Napa for dinner in the upstairs cafe (which features an a la carte menu vs. the prix fixe at the downstairs restaurant).  The hubby said if we lived nearby, we would be there twice a month.  If only …

Food below (counter-clockwise beginning with the salad), garden lettuces, those radishes and goat cheese medallions; sausage pizza; lamb; and the absolute best fruit tart one can enjoy (regardless of whatever seasonal fruit is used).

Bouchon Bistro

Reserved for my 70th birthday dinner.  For those curious, Chef Thomas Keller’s iconic French Laundry closes every year early January for maintenance (see second grid below).  We have had the pleasure of going a number of times and might not have opted to go there regardless.  Many of us in Southern CA long for the days when Bouchon was in Beverly Hills.  Alas, Napa it is for classic steak frites, escargot and that baguette.

The baguettes are available at Bouchon Bakery which opens early in the morning.  One can simply follow the aroma along Washington Street in Yountville and it will lead you straight there. An early morning walk (bundled up for the 30’s temps) led me there where they kindly bestowed a baguette straight-from-the-oven.  I may have invoked something about the birthday while peering through the screen into the oven area. Regardless, chalk up a quintessential win-win as it was delicious but also kept me warm for the walk back.

Finally, here’s a feel-good story to end with.  On that morning walk, while fumbling with gloves taking photos, I managed to lose the credit card from my coat pocket. Back at the hotel, I grabbed the hubby to retrace my steps as we drove along the route.  Nothing.

Minutes after returning, my cell shows Citibank is calling. Why? Someone found my card and called to report it lost. True. I only wish I could find that person to say thank you for restoring a bit of faith in humanity. You’re a good person.

Below, the view from the plane en route home. What a blessing. I promise no more mentions of my birthday. Until next year, that is …

International TravelU.S. Travel

FAREWELL 2023; HELLO 2024

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As we conclude a very special and memorable year, an equally special year is about to begin. 2023 began with a long-awaited “journey” to an extensive remodeling project!  But plenty of actual travel ensued with an imminent milestone birthday looming in the New Year.  First, where we went (all linked to the posts):

Tokyo

Singapore

Bali

New Zealand (South Island)

Fiji

Wimbledon for the hubby’s milestone birthday (London and a brief trip to Wales)

Vancouver for Thanksgiving: Part 1 and Part 2

Where we’re headed in 2024:

Napa for my milestone birthday

Spring trip: **Spoiler alert – It’s a lot of stops but many require a just a few hours’ drive! Prague, Vienna, Bratislava (Slovenia); Llubjiana (Slovakia); Belgrade (Serbia); Chisinau (Moldava); Bucharest++ (Romania); Sofia (Bulgaria); Skopke (North Macedonia)

A girls’ week at Tuscan Women Cook

And a phenomenal ending:  Antartica!

Thank you for traveling through 2023 with me. These big birthdays are the impetus and incentive to see as much as possible in this enormous world. I wish you all wonderful journeys in the coming year.                       

 

Things I LoveU.S. TravelWining/Dining

THANKSGIVING IN NEW ENGLAND – Part 2

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Continuing this 2-part post from the Thanksgiving in New England (read Part 1 HERE), we had three days exploring Maine and a bit of southern New Hampshire.

From our stay Manchester, it was on to Maine via a stop for lunch in Concord, New Hampshire.  While I drive and Sam navigates (along with managing the playlist), the hubby generally does the “where to lunch” search. The Concord stop included good burgers at The Barley House, a view of the state capitol and a bit of shopping at Pitchfork Records for fans of vinyl.

Above, the capitol in Concord; below, searching for vinyl gems

From there the drive to Portland, Maine, is under two hours.  Portland not only is Maine’s biggest city, but a bustling “foodie scene” — which is always a plus.  It is well located for travel to other parts of the state and just a couple hours north of Boston.  One day it was north to Freeport (best known as LL Bean’s headquarters) and Augusta.  Another day it was south to Kennebunk and Portsmith (NH).  Clearly, one can see a lot in a relatively short period.

Below, delicious dinner at Scale’s in Portsmith — pick your seafood; arctic char; grilled bread; apple cake

Below, the only beer drinker in the family.  Fun fact:  there are more breweries per capita in Maine than any other US state. 

Below – “Marketing 101” courtesy of LL Bean                                                                     

Below, the capitol building in Augusta.

Dinner at Chaval in Portland featuring French/Spanish small plates — excellent Coq au Vin.

Below, seeing Strange World in Portsmith, NH, on Thanksgiving.  Thrilled to see Hannah’s name in the credits (again). 

Downtown Portsmith below 

Below, our travel map.  The longest route was Boston – Manchester.  Everything else was a couple of hours max.  I research everything in advance! 

And then the trip ended as it began.  The last day was back to Boston in time for spectacular pizza at Regina’s below and a rendevous with east coast cousins near Logan Airport.

So what is the “key ingredient” I teased in Part 1?  Flying home on Friday instead of Saturday after Thanksgiving.  The flight was nowhere near full, meaning empty middle seats.  I managed upgrades for the hubby and me (no cost or miles!).  American Airlines is employing new transcontinental Airbus planes and they are terrific.  Spacious, good entertainment options, and seat outlets. All pluses in my book. From landing to home was about an hour.  With checked bags.  That is unheard of.

Enjoy some previous Thanksgiving destinations via the following links (The Carolina’s, Napa, Portland-Oregon).  One fun discussion is always “where to next year.”  I’m happy to report we have a unanimous decision.  But you’ll just have to be patient to find out where.  One hint:  staying in our time zone. As always, I’m very grateful to have this family time. I hope yours was special too.

Below, the Bush family home “Walker’s Point” (viewed from the back), Kennebunkport, Maine

Things You Should KnowU.S. Travel

THANKSGIVING IN NEW ENGLAND – PART 1

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After 14 years of near-consecutive Thanksgiving travel, I’m happy to report we finally have the key ingredient.  But more about that later …

This year’s trip took the hubby, son Sam and daughter Hannah to Vermont and Maine with flights in and out of Boston.  Add in New York and New Hampshire to the mix as these states have very peculiar boundaries (mostly crooked).  And, yes, we knew it would be cold in answer to many queries posed to four Southern Californians as to why there and at this time of year.

No, we didn’t see fall foliage, but we did experience some snow with mostly clear and quite cool weather the rest of the time. I’ll have to do one of those fall foliage trips when baseball no longer co-ops every October (i.e., a long time from now).  The good news is one stop on the next “big spring trip” is in New Zealand, where it is the fall season in May along with spectacular foliage there.  I look forward to that!

Hannah departed a few days ahead of us to spend extra time in Boston with a dear friend. We followed suit on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.  For our Boston overnight, it is clear the “North End” is absolutely thriving.  Every restaurant on Hanover Street was packed, including Bricco where we dined.  To their credit, they seated us promptly for our 9pm reservation.  People were still piling in when we left around 10:30.  Now, if we could have been spared the $30(!) valet charge.  And that’s paid upfront.  Below, perfect eggplant parm followed by seared ahi.

With Hannah rejoining us, we left Boston on Sunday for our first stop in Manchester, Vermont. The spectacular Green Mountains are a year-around destination.  The area is host to many outdoor activities, along with charming inns and restaurants, outlet stores and excellent roads.

Our snow encounter happened just prior to arriving in Manchester. Fortunately, the Nissan Rogue rental car came properly equipped and made the driving relatively easy. Our accommodations at The Kimpton Taconic Inn in Manchester were already booked when I saw it is ranked #3 of the 30 Best New England Hotels by Conde Nast Traveler.

 Above, the sitting room at the Taconic Inn

Dinner at Ye Olde Tavern in Manchester is as classic a New England spot if ever there was one .. below baked brie with apples; pumpkin soup; duck flamed tableside.

We ventured up to Burlington – Vermont’s largest city – along Lake Champlain. That was clearly the coldest day, maybe low 30’s.  Note the parking rates at the garage!  In Los Angeles, it seems like $1 per minute ..  Below, bundled up after lunch at Henry’s Diner (est. 1925).  Ever wonder what food pix look like AFTER?  We had classic diner food of course.

The photo of Lake Champlain below was taken as the sun was setting — about 4:30 pm!

Dinner at The Dorset Inn, just 10 minutes from Manchester, was a big hit. Mind you, many of the buildings date back to the 1700’s which add a great deal to their charm.  The food was delicious (as seen below):  Fennel salad with crispy shallots; Faroe Island salmon (Perhaps we were the only diners who have actually have been to the Faroes — read here); delicious carrot cake.

Stay tuned for Part 2 — there is much more to cover with lots of photos.  And, of course, the “key ingredient” will be revealed!

 

 

Things I LoveU.S. Travel

WEDDING WEEKEND IN DALLAS

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A quick trip to Dallas served as time beautifully spent with longtime friends plus a short break for the hubby from the intensity of tax season.  Had fortunes worked out, we might have continued on to New Orleans for the NCAA Men’s Championship game, but our Bruins did not make it to the last round.

For this trip, a high point was visiting the George W. Bush Presidential Library on the grounds of Southern Methodist University.  The site was closed during our last visit to Dallas in October 2020 for the World Series.  That trip worked out pretty well in spite of this particular detail (to say the least — read my post here).

The entire site comprises 18 acres, 15 of which is a beautiful park.  It’s no surprise these libraries take years to build as they serve as a complete history of, in this case, eight years in office.  Everything is there, from attire worn, major events relived through archival documents and videos, interviews and some hilarious moments where “43” pokes fun at his misproununciations — most notably “strategery” and “misunderestimate.”  It is well worth a visit.

Above, a full-size replica of the Oval Office.   Below, of the many gifts on display given to the President, this one is just perfect — bowls for First Dog Barney (love the feet!)

When in Texas, one tends to savor authentic bar-b-que as we did with a return visit to Terry Black’s in Deep Ellum.  When we arrived — and when we left — the line was literally out the door, with good reason.  It’s just delicious.  Their massive smoking room shown below. The good weather allowed for walking back to the hotel and a chance to work off some of that amazing food.

If you’ve not heard, weddings are going on everywhere due to 2020/21 postponements — the most weddings in our history.   It’s been said that it is easier to find your soulmate these days than an available wedding venue.  I believe it!  There was another wedding adjacent to the one we attended at the Adolphus where we stayed.  Obviously we didn’t read the sign “Hagerman/Zeidman Wedding This Way” until we had a drink and a bite and then went to sign the guest book.  “That’s not Sarah and Mark ..” in the photo display served as the tipping point to head right.  Much later in the evening, guests were drifting back and forth to sample some snack offerings (burritos in the “other” wedding and Whataburger at the Zeidman’s) and it was all good.

The night before

As for the evening before (at The Henry) and the wedding/dinner & dancing itself, there’s nothing quite like celebrating two people who found each other after their first “attempts” didn’t work out.  Afterall, isn’t “love lovlier the second time around” as the song goes?  To Sarah and Mark, it was a great joy to celebrate your love and to be with your family – our longtime and cherished friends – on this beautiful occasion.

Above with other longtime friends (Amb. Ned & Stephanie Siegel) and the groom’s father Fred;  below the head table with gorgeous flowers.

With the groom’s mama Kay Zeidman

 

Mr & Mrs Zeidman!
International TravelThings I LoveU.S. Travel

FAREWELL 2021; HELLO 2022

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As has become my custom, I end the current year and begin the new year with both a wrap up and a forecast.  Planned travel is something that required fluidity in the last two years, at least if one wants to remain sane.  Practically the only thing for sure is that some aspect of a plan might change.  Following is the 2021 recap, for which travel I am extremely thankful.  Click on each destination heading for the various posts.

WHERE WE WENT

International ::

TANZANIA

UGANDA

BERMUDA

Domestic ::

CLEVELAND

DETROIT

CHICAGO

CHARLESTON

SAVANANNAH

WHERE WE’RE GOING

The big post-tax-season trip starts in Iceland followed by Norway & Sweden (traversing the southern areas by car).  From Stockholm, we fly to St. Petersburg as a visa snafu ejected us from Russia after our 2018 Moscow visit. The Russians are very serious about their visas.  After that, we meet up with our kids to enjoy Florence and Venice (they start in Rome and end in Milan).  This family trip was postponed from 2020; thus, we are very much looking forward!

Other travel (domestic) includes a wedding in Dallas, maybe a trip to New Orleans (site of this year’s Final Four), Lake Tahoe for a postponed concert (Train) and who knows what else.  Wherever we do go, I am forever grateful for readers who travel along.  April 2022 marks ten years of Travel with Teri B visiting 38 countries (out of 76 total), and I have loved every minute.